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National Electronic Sectional Appendix

The National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) contains detailed information useful to operators about network capability, as well as a considerable amount of other data.

NESA is an electronic data source with significant advantages over a hard copy publication. These include:

  • search tools for locations, routes and keywords
  • information can be accessed easily across Network Rail route boundaries
  • network maps enable a user to navigate through the data by linked references
  • a route-builder facility that allows a user to create bespoke routings to match their needs
  • online editing capability ensures that it is up-to-date.

Across the network changes arise every week (from track renewals to major construction activity), which are published first in the Weekly Operating Notice (WON) and rapidly incorporated in NESA.

How to subscribe

To access NESA you need:

  • access to the internet
  • a Network Rail Portal account with access to the NESA website
  • scaleable vector graphics (SVG) viewer software, so you can view the route maps and track diagrams.

To set up a Portal account and access to NESA, email nesa@networkrail.co.uk with the following information:

  • the organisation that you represent
  • your name and role within your organisation
  • your work email address.

Please note: the NESA mailbox is for access requests only. To raise any other issues regarding NESA please email planningpublications@networkrail.co.uk.

We can normally confirm registration and account details within 10 working days.

System requirements

The NESA track diagrams (known as Table A diagrams) are rendered in a format known as scaleable vector graphics (SVG). To view these you need a suitable SVG viewer on your computer or device. Many of these can be downloaded free from the web. Some viewers can be implemented as a plug-in to Internet Explorer and other browsers. Your IT department should be able to advise you.

Accessing NESA

Once registration has been completed we will send you an email with a unique user name and password, explaining how to access NESA.

Sectional Appendix PDF copies

Periodic Operating Notice and Sectional Appendix updates

RSSB survey

RSSB need your help to gather honest feedback on the WON and PON documents to enable us in future workstreams to understand the current documents.

The questionnaire is anonymous, and the results will only be used to help make improvements to these documents going forward.

The questionnaire asks for your current job title and location to help us understand how these documents help individual roles across the industry. Some roles may find parts of the documents more useful than others for the duties carried out.

The more truthful and in-depth feedback RSSB can gather, the better the insight will be.

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